By Favour Ulebor, Abuja
The Federal Government has sought Israeli expertise in border security as part of efforts to curb cross-border crimes and strengthen national security.
The move was disclosed in a press statement issued on Monday by the Special Assistant on Communication and New Media to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Magnus Eze, following a valedictory visit by the outgoing Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
According to the statement, Odumegwu-Ojukwu reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to deepening collaboration with Israel in critical areas of security, including counter-terrorism, intelligence gathering, information sharing, security financing and capacity building for security personnel.
The minister said Nigeria was looking to leverage Israeli expertise in border security to address the growing challenge of cross-border crimes and enhance the country’s overall security architecture.
She noted that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had continued to prioritise security as a key driver of national development, stressing that sustainable progress could not be achieved without a secure environment.
She said, “The President emphasises security everywhere he goes because you are actually going nowhere without security”.
The minister also described the recent rescue of the Oriire schoolchildren by Nigerian security forces as a watershed moment in the country’s fight against insecurity.
Beyond security cooperation, Odumegwu-Ojukwu underscored the importance of strengthening partnerships between Nigerian startups and Israeli technology firms to drive innovation and economic growth.
She added that Nigeria was interested in leveraging Israeli technology to improve water management and boost agricultural productivity.
In his remarks, Freeman reiterated Israel’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Nigeria in innovation, agriculture, healthcare, security, education and skills development.
“We are more than willing to work with Nigeria. We know that after the elections, things will be a lot easier. We are committed to defence and security cooperation with Nigeria,” the ambassador said.
Freeman described Nigeria as “an amazing country” with warm and welcoming people, adding that stronger engagement between both countries was necessary to unlock the full potential of the relationship.
The envoy further noted that annual trade between Nigeria and Israel, estimated at about $200 million, remained below its potential and expressed optimism that both nations would work towards significantly increasing bilateral trade in the years ahead.
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